Little Women
by RoseWriter112
Summary: Utau, Amu, Rima, and Yaya pledge to be best friends forever. But what happens when forever has some ideas of its own? As new loves arise, high school has never been so... difficult. Can their friendship last through the storm? Dedicated to DaisyDancer112.
1. Four Friends

**Me: New story, everyone! Bare with me... this is my first Shugo Chara story. Ever. Period. Just accept it, man. I know this sucks, but just read it and see how you like it. It's like a Little Women version of Shugo Chara, and I'm not gonna tell you what the main pairings are, though. If you've never read the original Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott, go do so! It's an amazing book, and it's how I actually started to like reading in the first place.**

**Daisy: Hello, this is Daisy. I'm Rose's wonderful sister. She'd like to dedicate this story to me, seeing how awesomely awesome I am, and she'd like you to read it, too. She owns NOTHING.**

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_"While most times you're friends don't listen to you when you're talking, they often hear what you don't say."_

**Little Women**

**Chapter one**

**Four friends**

Amu was the first out into the school hallway. She often was there before the bell rang. It was her only escape from the many students always tracking her down in this school. She was popular, _way _popular, along with her best friend Hoshina Utau. People sometimes took it too far, though. A long time ago, back in elementary school, her fellow students had given her the nickname _Cool 'N Spicy_, because of her flippant attitude. It was just an outer-character, though... just a facade. Only her best friends _really _knew what she was all about. Her four best friends.

Amu put her back up against the wall, giving a heavy sigh, sliding down to the floor. She'd narrowly escaped detention again, today, because of her stupid mouth. Sometimes she wondered if _Cool 'N Spicy _was beginning to take over. She wouldn't be surprised, though, because it would just add one more thing to her life. She was only out of class right then because she'd lied to the teacher, telling him that she'd felt sick, and needed to go to the nurse. Typical Amu. All she would really do was go to lunch, and then ditch school for the rest of the day. That's all she ever did. It was depressin, really.

Before Amu could really thinkg about anything, she felt someone come and sit beside her. She didn't even have to turn around to tell that it was her best friend, Hotori Tadase. He sat next to her, his school books in his lap, neither of them saying anything.

But they didn't need to say anything. That was the thing... they were just _that _close. Friends since elementary school, they knew the contents of one another very well. No words were needed for communication.

Tadase finally uttered words, right then. "... I don't blame you for skipping class, Amu-chan."

Her eyes stayed staring at her lap. She would _never _meet his gaze, just nodding at what he was saying. "Okay."

"Just, remember that we care about you, okay?" Tadase's eyes were sad. Lately, it seemed as if Amu was becoming more distant from their small group of friends. "And... after you leave, today, call. Call any of us."

"O-okay." She replied mechanically, so dryly.

And suddenly, the bell resounded through the halls, and students came pouring in from every direction. Just when you thought you were alone, you were proven wrong. It was difficult to ever get away from the crowds, for Amu, because they always followed her wherever she went. Chanting _"Cool 'N Spicy!" _or just marveling at her very existence. Not that she was anything to marvel at.

Amu finally tore her eyes away from her lap, and found smiling, crimson ones staring right back at her. The friendly, warm eyes of Hotori Tadase. Her grade school crush. But now they were in high school, and she wasn't sure if she wanted him the same way she had before. But then again, her feelings for him had become more defined lately. That was one of the reasons why she was becoming so distant from her friends. She needed thinking time.

_"Yo, Hinamori!"_

Amu grimaced at the all-too familiar punch on her shoulder. She turned to her other side to see Souma Kukai bending down over her, extending a hand for her to take. At one point or another, Amu'd had a crush on Kukai, too, but now she only thought of him as a big brother. An annoying big brother.

Kukai's emerald irises sparkled as he pulled her off of the floor. "You know, you could get trampled if you just sit on the floor like that."

Behind Kukai was his best friend, Yuiki Yaya. Yaya's chesnut curls were pulled into their usual short ponytails, as she grinned and waved at Amu. "No one would ever trample Miss Cool 'N Spicy, though. Yaya is sure of it."

"Errrrr... thanks, Yaya-chan." Amu mumbled, dusting off her red skirt.

Tadase brought himself up off of the ground, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Amu-chan, are you leaving, now?"

"Yeah, I don't think I can stay for lunch," Amu said. "I better get outta here."

Yaya nodded sadly. "Okay, Amu-chi. Utau-chan, Rima-chan, and Yaya are going to the mall later today, how about we pick you up on they way? Girl-time, you know?"

"Okay." Amu agreed, turning to leave the school hallway.

_-Little Women-_

Just as Yaya had said, later that day she, Rima, and Utau had carpooled over to the Hinamori's, picked Amu up, and headed off to the mall. They were all high school girls, now, completely independant. The four of them had staye tight for years, and planned to stay best friends forever. Though Amu was dealing with life-problems, Rima had family-issues, Utau had to deal with the hectic life of a popstar, and Yaya struggled with school, they always had each other. They always, always had each other.

Utau was the oldest of the girls as a junior high school student, sixteen-years-old. She was beautiful, blonde, and very stubborn. Sapphire eyes that pierced you skin, and an angelic voice that melted your heart. If any of them deserved to be the famous singer, it was Utau. Amu and Rima were the next girls, them both being fifteen-year-old sophomores. Amu had bubblegum hair and golden irises, pretending to be indifferent on the outside, when she was just very complex, and very confused on the inside. She was a lot like Utau, which is why they were so tight.

Rima was the gorgeous one. Petite, with dark blonde hair, and chestnut eyes. She was very quiet, and didn't like to waste her time on trivial things. She seemed very mean, haughty, and superficial on the outside, which is why everyone loved her. But she was very shy, but loving on the inside, which is why her friends loved her. Yaya was the baby of the group, only a freshman, just fourteen-years-old. She kept her sandy locks in two ponytails, her face previously fixed with a perpetual grin. Yaya was the bouncy, playful, childish one. She was the one that kept all of the girls going. Theur fuel, the glue that kept them together.

Each of the girls took to one another in some way. Utau and Amu liked each other because they had complexities that only they, themselves would understand. Yaya and Rima, though their personalities contrasted, were close because they completed each other. Serious and light-minded, work and play.

Currently, all the girls had gathered in the food court the eat and talk about everyone. Rima had ordered Italian (on her soup 'n crackers diet), Yaya got a cheesburger and a bunch of candy, Utau ordered a large bowl of ramen, and Amu just got a drink. It was silent as they ate for a while, no one saying anything. They spent every day together, so there was nothing, really, to talk about.

"The dance is coming soon." Rima remarked quietly.

Utau turned to her. "What?"

"The dance, Utau-chan!" Yaya elaborated. "THE dance. The biggest one of the year... for the people who aren't seniors."

"Honestly, I'd forgotten until now." Amu sipped from her drink.

Rima gaped. "But, Amu... how could you forget the _dance_?"

"I've got a lot on my mind, Rima-chan."

Utau shook her hea sadly. "I don't think I'm gonna be able to make it to the dance, this year. To much work. Sanjo-san's got me doing jumping jacks on her time."

"Take a break, Vogue Girl." Yaya sang her favorite lyrics, to her favorite song.

"I don't think I can," Utau said. "Between work and school I'm totally swamped. If I tried to clear anything, or put anything off, I might find myself in the deep end."

"You entered the deep end _long ago_, Utau." Rima rolled her eyes.

"All you do is work." Yaya continued to pester. "Why don't you free yourself? Don't you ever think about boys, anymore? Or shopping? Or anything _fun_?"

"Boys are not my thing." Utau dived into her ramen unexpectedly. She was a fast eater.

Rima smirked. "Shame, shame. Isn't it, though, when you have boys throwing themselves at your feet everyday?"

"You're one to talk." Utau bit back. "You're a slave-driver, Rima-chan. You have guys waiting on you, hand-and-foot. And, besides, the only reason boys 'throw themselves' at me is because of Hoshina Utau, not Tsukiyomi Utau."

Yaya got that excited expression on her face. "Yaya sees what you mean! A line between work and love! You can never have both, because work gets in the way of love, and then love becomes work. How tragic, Utau-chan!"

Everyone at the table rolled their eyes.

Utau gave an elaborately exasperated face, sticking her tongue out. "God, Yaya-chan. You _always _turn every story into a twisted little fable for your own amusement."

"And Yaya enjoys every minute of it." Yaya replied curtly.

Rima nudged her friend. "Who do you plan to go to the dance with, Yaya?"

"Yaya doesn't know, yet." She admitted. "But she'd love to go, regardless. Who will _you_ go to the dance with?"

Rima slunk into her seat. "I... I don't... that doesn't matter."

Yaya gave a smirk, but then otherwise ignored Rima. Turning to Amu, of course. "Tell Yaya that you're going to the dance, Amu-chi. Please."

"I might go." Amu muttered, conclusive.

"With Tadase-kun, no doubt." Rima remarked.

Amu frowned. "Why do you guys _always _assume that it's him?"

"Because every time we do assume, it ends up being him," Utau shrugged. "So it's not so much of an assumption than a pure instinct."

Amu sighed hopelessly, pushing her dirnk away from her. She didn't want to think about Tadase at that moment, or how all the girls might be right. They always were.

"Hey," Utau reached across the table to take her hand. "You still love us, right, Amu-girl?"

"Right." Amu smiled, looking around the table at her best friends. No matter what happened, she'd always have them. Even when she was going crazy, like she was, now, they'd always be there. Who wouldn't love friends like that?

Friends like _hers._

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**Me: So... how'd I do? Was it okay? Anyways, Daisy... this is for you!**

**Daisy: Thanks so much! And for everyone else, tell us what YOU think! REVIEW!**


	2. S'later

**Me: Chapter two, everyone. Because I got such great reviews on the first chapter.**

**Daisy: We're so thrilled that you guys like this story. **

**Me: Yeah, it means a lot. This is my first Shugofic ever. Period. Just accept it.**

**Daisy: And she owns nothing!**

**Me: This one is for you, guys!**

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_"You can never have both, because work gets in the way of love, and then love becomes work."_

**Little Women**

**Chapter Two**

**S'later**

Hoshina Utau was tired. She was always tired. She worked until late at night, and was forced to wake up early in the morning. Her body mechanically moved through the day, learning the contents of each by heart. She felt as if she didn't feel emotions anymore, but just worked and did things, going through the motions day by day. She was beginning to feel numb, becoming indifferent one way or another. And Utau didn't want to feel this way... but there was no way to stop it. She didn't know how.

Her life was just a big mess.

Hoshina Utau sat up in bed at noon. It was Saturday, the day of freedom. Of course, she still had to get to the studio to record, but not until later that day. So sleep-deprived, she knew that she wanted to go back to bed, but her body wouldn't let her. It was all-too used to not getting enough sleep. She'd only went to bed at seven in the morning the previous night, not _nearly_ enough to make her functional for the day.

She stared at the wall across from her bed. Tacked to the wall was a poster of the famous singer Hoshina Utau. She looked so happy, holding a microphone in her hand. And it was always known why she was so happy; Utau was always that way when she sung. She was vibrant, full of life, so bright... so unlike Tsukiyomi Utau. The _real _girl.

Utau decided to stop glaring at the poster and get out of bed, purple pajamas and all. As soon as her feet touched the floor, she was reminded of how tired she was. But never-the-less, she wouldn't give up, and she left her room with a horribly faked smile.

She could hear sounds coming from the front room of her house. This was the house she shared with her brother, Tsukiyomi Ikuto. Her music paid the bills while he pursued his musical career as a violinist, so they spent a lot of time together. Utau loved her brother to death, and thought he pretended otherwise, Ikuto loved her back. He hated to see her the way she always was... worn out.

The TV was on when Utau reached the living room. Ikuto sat on the couch, remote in hand, lolling and doing nothing. Utau grimaced; she hate how carefree he was, sometimes. It was as if _she_ did all the dirty-work... but she knew that her brother worked hard to take care of her.

"Good morning, Utau." He said absently, without looking at her. Sometimes it scared Utau how he always knew when she was around, but yet, you would never be able to tell when he entered a room.

"We'll see." She hissed.

Suddenly, she caught a glimpse of pink hair shuffling on the couch's arm. Hinamori Amu was over at their house, once again, to hang out. Ever since elementary school, Amu was always at their house, doing nothing but lounging around and joking... just like Ikuto. Utau knew that they only acted that way to cover up their emotions, and just like her, they were both messed up on the inside. And it pissed her off.

"Hey, Utau-chan." Amu murmured, too immersed in the television to give a decent greeting. "Come and watch TV with us."

Utau obeyed, walking over to the recliner, but narrowing her eyes in suspicion. "What're you guys doing up so early?"

"I couldn't sleep, so I came over here." Amu answered, laughing at one of the jokes on the screen in front of her.

"Neither of us got any sleep last night." Ikuto muttered.

Utau raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Is _that _right?"

Amu gave her the death-glare. The girls could joke about grades, food, men, and menstrual periods, but jokes like _that_... like the one Utau just made... were off-limits. Especially when part of the reason Amu was so messed up was because of Ikuto. She didn't need anything make her insane life more real than welcome.

"Sorry." Utau apologized. Ikuto chuckled at Amu's red face.

In response, she picked up a couch-pillow and whacked him with it. "DON'T LAUGH!"

He only snatched the pillow from her and hit her over the head. To avenge herself, she took a different pillow from the couch and then it was a full-fledged pillow fight. Utau watched them as they continued to pummel each other; she'd always noticed how happy Amu was when she was with Ikuto... but Ikuto didn't know what she was going through. Tadase did, so everything was evened out. She had her two boys.

Their pillow fight was starting to annoy her, though. "Okay," Utau sighed. "I'm gonna go get dressed. I have to be at the studio in a couple of hours."

Ikuto put down his pillow, looking at his sister with concern. "But you're tired. Do you really _have _to go?"

"Yeah, I _have_ to." She replied. "It's my job, Ikuto."

She could see his eyes narrow behind his navy bangs. Ikuto didn't like the way Yukari, Utau's manager, was always working her to the bone. He'd always thought that she needed a break. "Why don't you stay here today?"

"Yeah." Amu echoed. "You always work too hard. Can't you just forget about work for one day?"

Before she had a chance to answer, Utau's cellphone rang on the coffee table. _Guess I left it there yesterday... _She thought, reaching for it. Looking at the caller ID, she sighed and looked back at Amu and Ikuto. "I'm sorry," She apologized. "I gotta take this one."

Amu pouted, and Ikuto turned away from her.

Utau sadly got up from her seat and left the room. She knew Amu and Ikuto were worried about her, but there was no reason to be worried. Yeah, her work was a bit too much at some times, but it was what paid for her living... and she could handle herself, right? She knew when enough was enough, and she didn't need anyone telling her what, when, or why. She was a big girl, she could handle herself.

She answered her phone with a melancholy tone. "... Hello...?"

_"Hey, Utau-chan!"_

The voice made her smile. In the dark hallway of her house, this familiar person put a smile on her face. It was the voice of Souma Kukai, one of her best friends. He was a junior, like her, and went to the same school. But lately Utau barely had any time to hang out with him, with the demands of her job. It was amazing that she could even find time to spend with Amu, Rima, and Yaya. Knowing that Kukai cared enough to call her... yeah, it made her smile.

"Hey, Kukai." She greeted him.

_"You working today?" _He asked.

"What else would I be doing?" She raised an eyebrow.

She heard him chuckle. _"Hanging out with me, maybe. How about I swing by the studio today, and after you're done recording, we go to eat?"_

Utau grinned. Kukai, once again, was her best friend. She'd barely had the patience to go to lunch with him, what with her insomnia. They used to go to lunch together every day, escaping the school cafeteria to go to a fast-food place during the week. They would even go see movies on weekend. But what with the constant demands of their lives, all of that had stopped about a year ago.

In response, she nodded excitedly. But then she realized that he couldn't see her nodding. "Uh... oh, sure! Sure."

Kukai laughed again. _"Okay. What time'll you be at the studio?"_

"From three o' clock to eight." She answered.

_"Good. I'll be there the whole time."_

She smiled gratefully. "... Thanks, Kukai."

_"No problem. S'later."_

And then the line went dead.

Oh no, the notorious "s'later"! As a diminutive of see-you-later... Utau, Amu, Rima, _and _Yaya knew that those three words meant trouble. Because to boys, "s'later", was there way of saying goodbye, but to girls, it was much more complicated. Let's spell it out...

Girl meets Boy.

Girl and Boy go out.

Girl and Boy talk on the phone together.

Boy says "s'later".

Girl wonders what Boy means by this.

Boy never calls Girl back.

Girl's head explodes.

So you see, "s'later", can mean a lot of things. But no girl on the earth has any idea what those meanings are, except for the fact that it's not a good sign. Utau's life was about to get so much harder, because of that one word.

S'later.

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**Me: Responses to my reviews! ...**

**Response to -PiercingMelody-: KYAA! Alas, it is a reviewer of one of my sisters' fabulous stories! I believe you're a fan of "Runaway Love", ne? Someday, I hope to become as good a writer as she is. Anyways, thanks for the great compliments! I hope this story was what you expected, or maybe even better! Nahhhhh, probably not XD**

**Response to Free Parking: I'm sort fo miffed that you changed your username. I like your new one, though. And soooo... I've always wanted to make a story just about Utau, Rima, Amu, and Yaya. As you can see, I've finished the chapters starring Amu and Utau, and now I have to do Rima, and then Yaya. Thanks for all the compliments. And I'm glad your kitty liked my story... he sounded adorable xD. **

**Daisy: REVIEW! S'later.**


	3. Color Red

**Me: We're back, everyone!**

**Daisy: I'm so glad you finally got this done. You were driving me crazy, using my laptop all damn day.**

**Me: Don't complain. I know you love me.**

**Daisy: -sigh- whatevs. You own NOTHING!**

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_"She was beginning to feel numb, becoming indifferent one way or another."_

**Little Women**

**Chapter Three**

**Color Red**

"Oh my God... he said s'later?"

Rima was on the phone with Utau. Sitting on her bed, legs dangling beneath her, she was told all about the amazing events of Utau's day. Including Amu, Ikuto, work, and Kukai. She loved hearing about Utau's life, as it was much more exciting than her own. Rima would never tell anyone that, though. She prided herself in just listening... she was an excellent listener.

_"Yeah," _Utau replied, from the other end of the line. _"He did. I'm really scared."_

"Well, Kukai _does _seem like the s'later kind of guy." Rima shrugged. While talking to Utau, she was exploring the internet on her netbook. It was balanced on her lap, while she balanced the phone between her ear and her shoulder. Excellent at multi-tasking, she could chat with Yaya while hearing Utau's life story. She was _that _good.

Utau was silent for a while. _"... Rima-chan... what does s'later even mean?"_

"The world may never know." Rima shrugged, continuing to chat with Yaya. Her internet conversation went as followed...

BalaBalance: _hey yaya._

Baby4Life: _wat is it?_

BalaBalance: _kukai said s'later to utau._

Baby4Life:_ no frekken way. thats baaaaaad. o.0_

BalaBalance:_ he must be rlly into her. *.*_

Baby4Life: _duh. kukai dosn't just say s'later 2 N E 1. this cud b rlly serious. has a guy ever said s'later 2 utau b4?_

BalaBalance:_ not that i no of._

Baby4Life:_ r u on the fone w/ her rite now?_

BalaBalance:_ duh. this is a crisis. Dx_

Baby4Life:_ rite on, sista. tell utau not 2 w8 4 kukai 2 talk 2 her. tell her that she needs 2 talk 2 him, 1st. its the only sensible thing. and 2 take a deep breath, obvs. she def needs to calm the hell down, bcuz this isnt the end of the world. yet._

BalaBalance:_ rite. ill tell hurrrrr..._

Rima hadn't gotten finished typing her last sentence hen Utau's voice boomed through the phone, loud and demanding.

_"RIMA! ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME?"_

Rima almost dropped the phone. When she got her hearing back, though, she was quick to convince her friend otherwise. "I'm here, Utau-chan, I'm here." She said calmingly. "I'm chatting with Yaya-chan right now, and she says to take a deep breath and assess your situation."

Utau audibly took a breath, doing as told. _"You're right, I'm sorry. Let's begin the assessment. Kukai hasn't really dropped any hints that he likes me."_

Rima sighed hopelessly. "Dear God, Utau! Boys don't 'drop hints'. They throw bombs!"

_"But Kukai's not a bomb-thrower."_ Utau said. _"And I'm not too sure he's a hint-dropper, either."_

"So he hasn't really shown any signs."

_"Not really... no."_

"So you have nothing to worry about."

_"... Right..."_

Rima wondered why Utau sounded so disappointed. "Utau-chan... I'm gonna go. Call me back if you need help, or call Yaya-chan. Or Amu-chan. We're all here, nothing to do on a Saturday, wasting our time. But we can help."

_"Thanks, Rima-chan."_

And then Rima hung up, just like she said she would. Throwing her phone on the bed, she sighed in relief. She loved Utau to death, honestly, but her obsessions over the smallest things worried her. Utau wasn't getting enough sleep, and it was making her a bit OCD. Everyone was concerned, but they wouldn't interfere. They were just as messed up as the popstar, herself was.

Baby4Life: _OMG rima r u still there? O.O_

BalaBalance: _yea. just got off the fone w/ utau._

Baby4Life: _is she ok? _

BalaBalance: _i hope so. i think she just has 2 much 2 do, and shes just spazzin at errrrrrthing. _

Baby4Life: _her job is crazeeeee. 1 day, shes just gonna explode and we r gonna be like "saw that comin. fail."_

BalaBalance: _but we cant let her explode! TT^TT_

Baby4Life: _i know girlie. im just kiddin. everythings so messed up now all u can do is just laff it off. seriously... im worried about us._

BalaBalance: _im worried about us 2. but, hey, if 1 of us explodes, we all explode 2gether, rite? xP_

Baby4Life: _helllllll ya._

BalaBalance: _thnx yaya._

Baby4Life: _4 wat?_

BalaBalance: _4 bein the queen of s'later xD wat wud we do w/out u?_

Baby4Life: _idk, but thnx. text ya later, kay? _

BalaBalance: _kay :)_

Rima smiled to herself, signing off of the chat and closing her netbook. She placed it on her night table, thinking of all her friends. How desperately they needed each other, because of their imperfections, really. Rima was great in school, but her family was falling apart at the hem, Yaya's family was intact, but she was failing every subject because of the weight her parents put on her as the big sister. Amu had her priorities straight, it's just that her problems were driving her insane, Utau was perfectly sane, but her job was destroying that for her. So you see, every girl had her own problem. And together, they were probably just even more messed up than they were apart. But they loved each other.

Rima hopped off of her bed, slipping on her yellow flats, thinking that she should probably go for a walk. Walks always gave her time to think. Though, not fully understanding what she needed to think about, she left her bedroom, out into the open hallway of the second floor of her house. As soon as she did, she sighed.

Her parents were fighting. Again.

Rima slowly crept over to the top of the staircase, so she could hear what her parents were saying. They were fighting every day, now, and it was driving her crazy. Mostly, all of their fight were about _her_. And she didn't mind it, really, she just wanted it to stop. All of it. As she perched herself up on the top step of the staircase, she could begin to hear every word they said.

"You never do anything around here! I have to do all the work!"

"YOU? I bust my ass everyday for this house, just to come home to you."

"You don't have to take care of Rima."

"Woop-dee-do. You act like she's such a burden. She's only a kid."

"Would YOU like her for a day? Hmmmm?"

"Don't just go dumping her on ME!"

Though the word _dump_ was a bit harshly used, Rima only bit her lip. It was obvious that because the fight was taking place in the living room, she would have to escape out of the back door. She would have to be subtle, yes, because her parents just _loved _to bring her into their fights every once in a while, asking her questions and all that. She hated it. But she didn't hate _them_.

Slipping down the stairs very quietly, she tiptoed her way to the bottom. Her parents shouts and accusations became louder, making it easier for her to get away, at best. She slowly went down the hall, grabbing her jacket off the coathook, and back to the kitchen. It was easy cruising from there. From the kitchen, her parents were even louder, and she struggled not to yell back at them as she continued. The back door was just on the other side of the room, and soon she was there, twisting the nob and opening it.

She slowly closed the door behind her.

"Fresh air." Rima sighed, taking a deep breath.

She walked out of her backyard, through the gate that was always left open. From there, she just lightly trod on the sidewalk. Rima never liked to be around when her parent fought... and _especially _after they fought. They would fight over her, and say things like 'Rima, tell your _father _that I said...' just to emphasize the fact that they weren't going to speak to each other until the next fight they had. Being outside felt good, and she never wanted to be inside. Her house felt like a cage... a guarded tower, where she was locked away.

Rima realized that there was no one willing to save her.

Then she recognized a familiar red ribbon lying on the sidewalk. It made her stop, right before she stepped on it. The ribbon belonged to her friend Nadeshiko, or rather, Nagihiko, as he called himself now. She hated Nagihiko, but Nadeshiko was one of the rare friends that she had... and she knew that sounded crazy, because they were the same person, but it was true. Reaching down, Rima picked up the ribbon.

How could Nadeshiko leave her ribbon on the sidewalk?

Whatever reason there was, she wasn't going to give it back. She couldn't explain it, but the ribbon gave her some sort of hope... like maybe, just maybe, she would be able to escape her guarded tower.

And besides, Rima liked the color red.

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**Me: My responses to my reviews!...**

**Response to Blossoming Hope: Thank you. And in the next chapter, we'll get to the school life and how different characters participate in it.**

**Response to -PiercingMelody-: No, it's okay. I sort of get what you mean. I love Kutau, too! And Amuto, of course, but my favorite couple is probably Rimahiko. But it really depends on the story I'm writing. And yes, there SHALL be amuto.**

**Response to Free Parking: Yersh! I wasn't too sure if I got Utau quite right... I think I made her a bit to angsty, but whatever. And no, you're not sadistic. Lots of people like a read about life problems and all that crap. YES! In my school, S'later is the one thing that girls dread. Of course, the only guy who's ever said S'later to me is my boyfriend Cody, but that still counts, right? And darling, who else would Utau end up with? If Kukai was for someone else, there would be no need for her existence as a character. However, since Kukai doesn't belong to anybody else, he and Utau are destined for each other! So here we have Rima's little self-baised chapter, and after this, we're going to see Yaya and then go on to the normal point of view. And hopefully, it'll be a chapter involving at least ONE Shugo Chara guy.**

**Daisy: REVIEW!**


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